I'm looking for a passive chemical control method for reducing humidity in my sailboat. I've had mold, cleaned the best I can, dried the bilge, etc. I'm looking for a little preventive maintenance now.
Chemical Humidity Control
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Calcium Chloride
Absorbs moisture from the air. I just fill a couple of tupperware containers with the crystals and place in the cabin when I leave the boat, works great. Hope it's available to you down in Texas, used to treat ice on walks up in in the frozen north. They do sell it in marine stores packaged in sock like containers but charge 10 times the amount.
Absorbs moisture from the air. I just fill a couple of tupperware containers with the crystals and place in the cabin when I leave the boat, works great. Hope it's available to you down in Texas, used to treat ice on walks up in in the frozen north. They do sell it in marine stores packaged in sock like containers but charge 10 times the amount.
just what you need!
i have been using Damp-rid in my boat and trucks for years. works like a charm, cheap and you will love it. any wallmart or home depot type carries it.
i have been using Damp-rid in my boat and trucks for years. works like a charm, cheap and you will love it. any wallmart or home depot type carries it.
Falcon the best way to control the humidity
anywhere is with refrigerated air and the second best way is with ventilation. If you use chemical means you MUST plan to empty the collected water at frequent intervals or it will over flow the containers and make a bigger mess than you want to deal with.
anywhere is with refrigerated air and the second best way is with ventilation. If you use chemical means you MUST plan to empty the collected water at frequent intervals or it will over flow the containers and make a bigger mess than you want to deal with.
Clean all hard surfaces with bleach & soap
Falcon: Clean all of your hard surfaces with a mixture of bleach and soapy water. This will kill any spores. I think that you can also substute peroxide for the bleach. DampRid hanging bags work wonders in the closets (Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart etc.). They also have some containers that allow you to use their product for the accumulation of moisture. If you purchase these first then you can buy the less expensive calcium chloride. You can place these devices in your sink so they drain out of the boat instead of into a container too. I assume that you do not have access to electricity since you are looking for a passive solution. Otherwise I would suggest fans & a dehumidifier. Some folks from your part of the country have said that O-zone generators will work, but you also need electricity for them too.
Falcon: Clean all of your hard surfaces with a mixture of bleach and soapy water. This will kill any spores. I think that you can also substute peroxide for the bleach. DampRid hanging bags work wonders in the closets (Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart etc.). They also have some containers that allow you to use their product for the accumulation of moisture. If you purchase these first then you can buy the less expensive calcium chloride. You can place these devices in your sink so they drain out of the boat instead of into a container too. I assume that you do not have access to electricity since you are looking for a passive solution. Otherwise I would suggest fans & a dehumidifier. Some folks from your part of the country have said that O-zone generators will work, but you also need electricity for them too.
What you really need is ventilation
Fresh air and light are the enemies of mold and mildew. Solar powered vents...leave all lockers open and drawers pulled out so that air can circulated in them and behind them...even all interior hatches open so that air can get to bilges. And use a wet vac, dinghy bailer and/or a sponge to manually remove all bilge water left behind by bilge pumps every time you close up the boat. I always left a lamp that had a 60W bulb burning in it when I was away from the boat...it had the added advantage of discouraging vandals and thieves. Of course, a lamp would have to be secured to prevent wake or a storm from tipping it over, but I can attest that, by doing everything I've recommended here, I never had any mold or mildew on any boat I've ever owned.
Fresh air and light are the enemies of mold and mildew. Solar powered vents...leave all lockers open and drawers pulled out so that air can circulated in them and behind them...even all interior hatches open so that air can get to bilges. And use a wet vac, dinghy bailer and/or a sponge to manually remove all bilge water left behind by bilge pumps every time you close up the boat. I always left a lamp that had a 60W bulb burning in it when I was away from the boat...it had the added advantage of discouraging vandals and thieves. Of course, a lamp would have to be secured to prevent wake or a storm from tipping it over, but I can attest that, by doing everything I've recommended here, I never had any mold or mildew on any boat I've ever owned.
Chemical
Like Bob said, if you are going the chemical route, try calcium chloride. Put a small pile of them on a piece of outdoor screen and put the screen over the top of a bucket. The crystals draw the moisture out of the air and it goes in the bucket. They are cheap at Wal Mart...but will not be available until the weather gets cold.
Like Bob said, if you are going the chemical route, try calcium chloride. Put a small pile of them on a piece of outdoor screen and put the screen over the top of a bucket. The crystals draw the moisture out of the air and it goes in the bucket. They are cheap at Wal Mart...but will not be available until the weather gets cold.
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